Rail joint and fish plate



APPLICATION FILED SE91, 2|, 1921.

Patented JanJS, 1922a FT l wrncnn rr woaoninoxr; or DICKSON CITY, rnmvsYnvANIA.

Rm JOINT AND FISH PLATE. 3

Application filed September It'is the objector the present invention to provide an improved. rail jointor simple and durable construction capable of producing a dependable connection between two rail sections.

One feature of the invention relates to the particular construction of both fishplates of the joint and to the manner in which these plates are fitted together with the peculiar rail ends, and a sturdy supporting member which embraces the fish-plates and rails. To this and other endsthe invention consists in the novel features of construction. and combinations of elements hereinafter described. I p

One form of the invention is described and claimed in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the accom-v panying drawings, in which: f

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a rail joint of th general type of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is 'asectional plan view on line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3+3 of sections of standard T-rail'to be joined together are shown at 1 and 2 with the intervening joint 3. For the purposes of this invention there is shown a standard T-rail such as is ordinarily used for railways. The two abutting sections of rail rest upon a base-plate a constructed substantially .as shown in Figs. 1 and 3..

This base-plat9 is of such a width as'to rest securely upon a tie, not shown in the drawing, and of a length sufficient to give a substantial bearing surface upon a portion of the tie on either side of the rail. In practice, two of these baseplates will be placed upon each tie in the construction of a railway. Upon the upper face of this baseplate, the base of the rail is so placed asto be on the center line and spaced equidistant Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

21, 1921. Serial No. 502,191.

from two projecting members 5 and 6, at tached to the base-plate. In the drawing they are shown as being cast integral with.

the base-plate and so shaped as to form parallel inclined tongues or abutments, their purpose being to grip the improved fishplates 7 and 8 more fully described hereinafter. On the face of-thebase-plate and disposed at either end thereof are openings 10 and 11 through which any. suitable fastening devices may be inserted to secure the base-plate to a resting surface or tie."

will be noticed that on the under surface of the head of the rail a slot or channel 12 has been out, said slot extending from the longitudinal edge of the head of the rail to the web of the rail, the bottom of the slot being parallel tothe surface of the railhead. The

In the construction of the rail section 1' it slot is'moreclearly shown at 12 of Fig. 3. 1 On the under surface of therail head opi posite to slot 12 of rail section 1 is a slot 15, said slotcbeing Lshaped, having-one end adjacent the longitudinal edge of the rail head flIlClitllG other end at a substantial distance from th cross-cut end of railsection 1'. The bottom of this slot is-parallel to the rail head'and is'ofa width adapted to talre a projecting pin 19 to be described more fully. The slot is shown at 15'of Fig. 3 and 1s there more clearly represented.

. Rail section 2 has slot 13 constructed in the exception that one leg of the L-shaped 7 slot is turned away from the cross-cut of rail 2' rather than towardthe cross-cut'as in rail 1.

The web'section 9 of rails 1 and 2 is that of a standard T-rail. In the web of rail Sec tion 1 are two openings 20 and 21 which lie in the sam horizontal plane on a level corresponding to that of 22 of Fig. 3-. These openings areof dimensions, sufficient totake an L-shaped locking pin 23. Looking pin 24 is of the same dimension as locking pin 23. Likewise in rail section 2 is an opening plane as openings 20 which is shown in Fig. 3 at 7 and 8. For

the purposes of description, I shall call fishplate 7 the primary fish-plate and fish-plate 8 the secondary fish-plate. In cross-section and length both fish-plates are identical but they vary in some details of construction. Both Cfish-plates conform to the true outline of the rail comprising theunder surfaceof the head of the rail, the web of the rail and the.lowergportion 0f theraih The lower.

surface of the fish-platerests securely on the base plate t. Th outer surface of the fish-plate conforms to the shape of the tongue 5., The length; of the fish-plate is sufficient to cover a portion of eachof the railsections 1 i and 2 adj acent. the. joint 3.

Cast integral .with' fish-plate 7 :is the L-p shaped}locking pin 24: which protrudes from the inner suri'ace of the fish-platenext to the ,rail web. Theposition of this L-shaped pin is best shown at 2a of Fig. In the interiorof fish-plat 7 are two L-shapedrecesses 26 )and; 27-of dimensions slightly larger than those of the projecting pins 23' and. 25. These; recesses are constructed ex-m. actlyralike and. lie in a plane.22.

' 1 116168001161.313 fish-plate 8 hasthe sam dimensions slightly larger than those of the projecting pin-2 L. This recess, how-v ever, is faced in a direction opposite to the direction of theirecesses .26and 27. Likewise,,=pin 24 is faced in. a direction opposite tothe direction of pins23 and 25." On' the upper face of fish-plate 7 are two vertically projecting pins 161 and 17 and on the.

upper face of1fish-plate 8 are two vertically proj ecting pins 18. and 19.

In assembling the various parts hereinbefore described so as to obtain airail joint; fish-plate 'his insertedbetween the two abu'tting rail sections 1 and 2 and the tonguel5p out base-plate 4i, in the position shown in Fig @The 1 pin 24 therefore .vproj'ects' througln opening 21in the rail-web and pins 16 and. l7 are inserted in their respective slots .12 and: 13, thereby locking the fish- .plate 7 and preventing any longitudinal movement The secondary fish-plate 8 is slidable and is inserted between the rail sections and tongue'das shown 111 Fig. 3. Before usertion, fislnplate 8 assumestheposltion. of the dotted lines shown in Fig. 2

and "the pins 26 and 27 project through.

fish-plate resting against one side of eachthe openings 20 and 22, assuming thedotted positions. In order to completely lock fishplates? and S,fish-plate 8 is now-caused to Slide on base-plated andzqin so doing, pins23 and25 fill in the recesses 26 and 27 and pins l8 and-19 follow theirrespectiveslots 14 and 15. The rail joint is now com pleted by this movement of fish-plate 8.v In

orderto hold the plates-together, a spike 29 What I claim is? 1. In a raiLjoint composed of'two abuttingeisections of standard T-rail, the webs of each of said sections of'rail having openings stherethrough and having a slot in the vunder surface of the rail-head of each section' of rail and onboth sides of the webs of said rails, the combination :with said ma. -sections o'f agpriniary fish plate and a" secondary or sliding fish-plateysaid primary :fislnplatewesting: against one-side of each of said rail-sections-and having on its side adjacent the faceof therail-web a horiof the openings in oneof said rail-websand of whichfis adaptedito engage the respeczontalw L-shaped locking"pin:- projecting I :therefromvand adapted to pass throughone QO engage an L-shaped recess in the secondary i fish'-p1ate*+on the opposite sid'e of said railwebsrasaid-primary fish-plate having on its upper face two projecting locking'pins each 1 tive- 'slot in the under surface of the rail 1- head, said secondary fish-plate having horizontal L-shaped' locking pins projecting therefromand adapted to pass through-the respect-iveopeningsin said railwvebs and,

engage L-shaped recesses in the primary fish-plate on the opposite sides of said railwebs said secondary fish-plate having on its upperaface two projecting locking-pins each of which is adapted to engage therespectivefL shaped:slot in the under surface of the rail-headpthe gseveral L shaped looking pins and l recesses: and locking pins and slots of the above mentioned fish-plates be ing ibroughtiintoilocking engagement with each other as the said secondary fish-plate" is moved horizontally for locking the said rail sections {togetl1er,andlocking meansi 1 for preventing relative horizontal movement it l of the parts.

2. In a rail-joint composed of two abut ting sections of standard T-rail, the webs of each of saidsections of rail having openings therethrough. and having aslot in theunder surfaceof the rail head of each section of railland' on .both'sides of the webs of said rails, the combination with said railof said rail-sections and having on' its side adjacent the face of the rail-web a 'hori- .zontalw L-shaped locking pin projecting therefrom and adapted to pass through one of the openings inoneoi saidrail-webs' and engage an L-shaped recess in the secondary fish-plate on the opposite side of said rail webs, said primary fish-plate having on its upper face two projecting locking pins each of which is adapted to engage the respective slot in the under surface of the rail-head, said secondary fish-plate having horizontal L-shaped locking pins projecting therefrom and adapted to pass through the respective openings in said rail-webs and engage L- shaped recesses in the primary fish-plate on the opposite sides of'said rail-webs, said secondary fish-plate having on its upper face two projecting locking-pins each of which is adapted to engage the respective L-shaped slot in the under surface of the rail head, the several L-shaped locking pins and recesses and lockingpins and slots of the above mentioned fish-plates being brought into locking engagement with each other as the said secondary fish-plate is moved horizontally for locking the said rail sections together, and locking means for preventing relative horizontal movement of the parts, and a tie-plate mounting embracing the lower portion of said rail and both fish-plates, including a base plate, a pair of solid block members on said base plate extending upward therefrom and having their inner and opposite faces inclined toward each other and engaging the outer lateral faces of said fish-plates.

3. A fish-plate having a horizontal L- shaped locking pin projecting from the side of said fish-plate adjacent the face of the web of a. standard T-rail, a projecting looking pin on the upper face of said fish plate and adapted to engage a rail end, and a second pin on the upper face of said fish-plate and adapted to engage a second and abutting rail-end, and the main portion of said fishplate having two horizontal L-shaped recesses formed therein, the openings of said recesses being on the same side of the plate as the locking pin and said recesses extending within said plate in a direction opposite to the direction of the outer arm of the l.- shaped locking pin.

4:. A fish-plate having a horizontal l.- shaped locking pin projecting from the side of said fish-plate adjacent the face of the web of a standard T-rail, a projecting locking pin on the upper face of said fish plate and adapted to engage a rail end, and a second pin on the upper face of said fish plate adapted to engage a second and abutting rail-end, and the main portion of said fishplate having a horizontal L-shaped recess formed therein, the opening of said recess being on the same side of the plate as the lockin pin, and said recess extending within saic plate in a direction opposite to the direction of the outer arm of the horizontal L-shaped locking pin. I

5. A fish-plate having a plurality of horizontal L- shaped locking pins projecting from the side of said fish plate adjacent the face of the .web of a standard T-rail and facing in the same direction, a projecting looking pin on the upper face of said fishplate and adapt-ed to engage a rail end, and a second pin on the upper face of said fish plate andadapted to engage a second and abutting rail end, and the main portion of said fish plate having a horizontal L-shaped recess formed therein, the opening of saidrecess being on the same side of the plate as the locking pins, and said recess extending within said plate in-a direction opposite to the direction of the outer arms ofthe horizontal Lshaped locking pins, the lower portion of said fish-plate on the side'opposite to the L-shaped member being-cut away from top to bottom forthe reception of a locking member. I r

6, In a rail joint composed of two abutting sections of standard T-rail, the web of one of said sections of rail having two openings therethrough, adapted to permit locking pins of corresponding dimensions to pass therethrough, the under surface of the head of the rail on one side of the web having a slot therein extending from the longitudinal edge to the web of said rail, the bottom ofsaid slot being parallel with the top of the rail head, and the under surface of the head of the rail on the corresponding opposite side of the'web having an L-shaped slottherein, one end of said slot being adj acent the longitudinal edge of said rail head and the other end of said slot extending toward the end of said rail section, the bottom of said L-shaped slot being parallel with the top of the rail head:

7. In a rail joint composed of two abutting sections of standard T-rail, the web of one of said sections of rail having an opening therethrough, said opening being adapted to permit a locking pin of corresponding dimensions to pass therethrough, the under surface of the head of the rail on one side of r the web having a slot therein extending from the longitudinal edge to the web of said rail, the bottom of said slot being parallel with the top of the said head and the under surface of the head of the rail on the corresponding opposite site of the web having an L-shaped slot therein, one end of said slot beino adjacent the longitudinal edge of said rail head and the other endof said slot extending away'from the endof said rail section, the bottom of said L- shaped slot being parallel with the top of the rail head.

8. In a rail joint composed of two abutting sections of standard T-rail, the webs of each of said sections of rail having openings therethrough and having a slot in the under surface of the rail head of each section of rail and on the same side of the webs of said plate having on its upper face two projecting locking pins each of which is adapted to engage the respective slot in' the under surface of the rail head whereby said rail.

sections are held together. 1

9. In a rail joint composed of two abutting sections of standardT-rail, the webs of each of said sections of railhaving'openings therethrough and having a slot in the under surface of the rail head of each section of rail and on the same-side of the webs of said rails, the combination with said rail sections of ahorizontallyisliding fish-plate resting against'one sideof-each of said rail sections, said fish-plate having on the side thereof adjacent the face of the rail web two hori zontal L'-shaped locking pins projecting therefrom and adapted to pass through the openings in said-rail Webs and engage L- shaped recesses in asupporting engaging member on the opposite sides of said rail wfebs, said fish-pl'atehaving on its upper face two projecting locking-pins each of which is adapted toengage the respective -L-shaped slot in the un der surface of the rail'head assaid fish-plate is moved horizontally with respectto saidrails and engaging member. In testimonywhereof I 'aflix my signature.

' y i WINOENTYWORONIECKL 

